Thursday, 4 July 2013

Peters out thinks Keys

In the select committee stage of the GCSB extended powers bill presently in front of the committee chaired by the Prime Minister. Kim Dotcom made a verbal submission. [2nd July 2013]

The interaction between the two was very revealing. The highlight was the banter between a smiling and supposedly relaxed John Key and a moderately assertive Kim Dotcom, in fact the sparks were flying, and Kim Dotcom held all the cards.

He stated to the media that he has evidence that proves the PM is lying when he says he didn’t know about Kim Dotcom before the US CIA FBI / NZ GCSB SIS / NZ Police raid on Dotcoms mansion in the PM’s electorate.

I doubt if Dotcom would make that statement because he added that he would make that information public at his court hearing due to take place later in the year in Auckland.

I got the feeling that John Key was really very nervous that Dotcom might reveal this evidence at the committee hearing which ended on Thursday…

The day before Kim Dotcom made his submission Winston Peters was preparing the ground by getting clearly on the official record a few of the many times that the PM has possibly lied to the parliament on the issue of Dotcom and the Raid that took place illegally by the GCSB and US Security agents.

Here are the questions he asked. There was only one answer the PM could give…Yes…to do otherwise would have been most unwise.

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Winston Peters

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1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: When he said on 25 September 2012 that he was not briefed on who would be involved in the Kim Dotcom raid, saying: “The activity in question did not require a ministerial warrant, and I am not briefed on operational matters on every operation it undertakes.” was he telling the truth?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: When he was asked on 25 September 2012 regarding when he was first briefed about the ministerial certificate that the Deputy Prime Minister signed on his behalf and he answered “Last night.”, was he telling the truth?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: When he replied to a question on 26 September 2012 on when other agencies knew about the Government Communications Security Bureau’s involvement in the Kim Dotcom case: “I am simply not in a position to understand whether those organisations knew that or not. What I do know is that the first I was aware of it was on Monday, 17 September. Whether those other organisations had some information I am not sure.” was he telling the truth?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: On 8 September 2011 when he said in regard to the appointment of Mr Ian Fletcher as the director of the Government Communications Security Bureau: “Mr Fletcher has extensive policy and operational experience …”and, further: “Mr Fletcher is a skilled leader who will make a valuable contribution to the bureau and wider New Zealand intelligence community.”, does he stand by those statements?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes.

I consider that Winston Peters has information that will show that the Prime Minister lied but was being careful to get those questions on the record of the parliament. His evidence may well be the same as that held by Kim Dotcom or may be from another source, but regardless it means that Winston Peters out maneuvered the PM by getting him to lie yet again, if he lied in the first place.

The next few months are going to be interesting for if it is proven that John Key did lie then the standard practice of resignation for misleading parliament could follow.